Aromatherapy for Athletic Performance
BREATH + POWER
Every inhalation is vital, especially in sport.
Some aromas are known to stimulate the brain, body, and mind in measurable ways.
Using essential oils is a powerful way to enhance athletic performance.
Aromatherapy is a speedy method of impacting body and brain simultaneously.
WHen you inhale essential oils, they make direct contact with the brain.
They access the limbic system - the emotional center of the brain, and are pulled into the lungs and bloodstream causing direct effects on the body and psyche.
relaxation, pain relief, increased energy, and elevated endurance can be achieved - sometimes rapidly.
Jacquelyn BenjaminRESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY
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INCREASED ENERGY
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REDUCING PERCEIVED EXERTION
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DECREASED FATIGUE
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INCREASED POWER
RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY ✳︎ INCREASED ENERGY ✳︎ REDUCING PERCEIVED EXERTION ✳︎ DECREASED FATIGUE ✳︎ INCREASED POWER
How CAN I HELP You?
REST + RECOVERY
MINDSET + BLOCKS
STRENGTH + ENDURANCE
Let’s Connect
If you're interested in working with a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and Clinical Aromatherapist to meet your athletic goals, simply complete the form and I’ll get back to you soon!
Message me about custom-blended products to support you and your goals.
Aromatherapy inhalers
Essential oils for massage
Holistic recovery protocols
RESEARCH SHOWS
Plants are the foundation for many medications and therapies.
Essential oils from plants are being researched because of their benefits to the body and mind.
Below are only a few of the studies highlighting essential oils’ impact on athletic performance.
STRENGTH, JUMP, REACTION TIME
“Our results revealed significant improvement in all of the variables after oral administration of peppermint essential oil. Experimental group compared with control group showed an incremental and a significant increase in the grip force (36.1%), standing vertical jump (7.0%), and standing long jump (6.4%). Data obtained from the experimental group after five minutes exhibited a significant increase in the forced vital capacity in first second (FVC1)(35.1%), peak inspiratory flow rate (PIF) (66.4%), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) (65.1%), whereas after one hour, only PIF shown a significant increase as compare with the baseline and control group. At both times, visual and audio reaction times were significantly decreased. Physiological parameters were also significantly improved after five minutes. A considerable enhancement in the grip force, spiromery, and other parameters were the important findings of this study.
Conclusion : An improvement in the spirometric measurements (FVC1, PEF, and PIF) might be due to the peppermint effects on the bronchial smooth muscle tonicity with or without affecting the lung surfactant.”
IMPROVED LUNG FUNCTION
“A lung function tests showed an improvement on the lung status for the students after inhaling of the oils. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in Forced Expiratory Volume and Forced Vital Capacity after inhalation for the both oils. Moreover significant reductions in the means of the running time were observed among these two groups. The normal spirometry results were 50 %, while after inhalation with M. spicata oil the ratio were 60 %.
Conclusion
Our findings support the effectiveness of M. spicata and C. sinensis essential oils on the exercise performance and respiratory function parameters.”
INCREASED TIME TO EXHAUSTION
“Time to exhaustion was 109.9 ± 6.9 min in PEO and 98.5 ± 6.2 min in PLA (p = 0.009; effect size: 0.826). No significant changes were observed in the values of BT, TS, TC, SPE, SR, lost body mass, and urine volume and density (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
Peppermint essential oil added to water before and during a race significantly increases the time to exhaustion of recreational runners but without altering BT, TS, TC, or hydration status, so the mechanisms involved were not clarified in this study.”
INJURY + FatIGUE
“Essential oils have been used in medicine for decades and have been proven to eliminate toxins from the body. They are also shown to improve the body's ability to absorb essential vitamins and nutrients. In this sense, the application of these oils not only helps to prevent and heal sports injuries but also to stimulate and relax the mind and body, leading to higher levels of fitness. Because of these inherent properties of EOs, there is growing interest in using them to tone the body and mind in a variety of ways, such as musculoskeletal preparation, injury prevention, and improving mood and performance to achieve a higher success rate in sports. sports and fitness, as well as post-exertion recovery. They can be used as an aid to make recovery faster, reducing the effect of fatigue and raising the energy level of the mind and body.
REST + RECOVERY
“Specifically, EOs such as peppermint and eucalyptus exhibit analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, making them beneficial for managing exercise-induced muscle soreness and discomfort. Conversely, oils like lavender are recognized for their anxiolytic and sedative effects, which may improve sleep quality and promote relaxation. But both are essential for effective post-exercise recovery. As such, their strategic application may represent a valuable, complementary approach within the broader context of sports medicine and athletic training. Although EOs have been used for centuries in traditional medicine of various cultures to support physical performance, scientific research in the field of sports medicine remains still limited. Preliminary findings suggest promising effects on fatigue reduction, sleep, sympathetic activity, and endurance improvement. However, results are inconsistent, with some studies even showing no significant differences compared to placebo. Further rigorous research is needed to establish the efficacy and mechanisms of EOs in athletic settings.”
WHILE YOU’RE HERE
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